A need exists in the prior art for a system having the capability of monitoring environments associated with assets within a containment shell (i.e., container) that is both highly sensitive and highly reliable. Such a desired system would include the ability to continuously and autonomously measure the container environment for extended time periods. In addition, the desired system would illustratively include the ability to measure attributes of the asset. The desired system would also illustratively interpret and archive measured data and transfer the information to remote locations.
Because the containerized assets are expected to function properly after long-term dormant storage, the exemplary system should capture the actual environmental conditions that occur within the container. This is of particular interest with respect to sealed containers. These monitored environmental conditions may include temperature, humidity, vibration, and shock. The monitored environmental conditions are illustratively selected to address sensitivities of the containerized asset. For example, excess humidity can precipitate corrosion. The exemplary system may also monitor asset attributes, such as outgassing or elongation. Each exemplary container should be individually monitored since the conditions experienced by each container are unique. In some situations, the environment outside the container may also need to be monitored.
In certain illustrative embodiments, each container may be individually monitored to facilitate maintenance of individual container assets and/or the deactivation of a container and its asset due to exposure to environmental conditions outside of its predefined allowable ranges. Moreover, individual container monitoring could identify a variety of issues. For example, monitoring each individual container in a group could identify any existing thermal hot spots. In another example, individual container monitoring could identify locations where vibration levels generated by nearby equipment are potentially damaging to a container asset.
The exemplary system may further address deficiencies in certain existing systems such as inadequate data storage, insufficient data acquisition rates, and/or the introduction of electromagnetic (EM) or radio frequency (RF) radiation into the container. The exemplary system may have the ability to acquire environmental data, collected from a container that holds a highly sensitive and reactive asset, without introducing EM or RF radiation into the container. Such an exemplary system would not create EM interference and the system components, located inside the container, would not interfere with the highly sensitive and reactive asset.
Another consideration for a desired system is that highly precise devices, stored in containers for multiple years, should function properly without periodic maintenance. Such devices may include components whose calibration could be adversely impacted by environmental factors such as high temperature or shock impulses.
A desired system may also be preferably configured so that environmental conditions associated with each container are monitored continuously and the sensor readings archived. It may also be desired to use the archived data when making maintenance decisions and when estimating the remaining useful life of an asset. The archived data could support these functions by showing whether the asset experienced benign, moderate, or extreme environmental conditions or the data could be used in a prognostic model. Another useful aspect of a desired system may be that archived data can be provided to a vendor of the containerized asset to support warranty determinations.
In connection with sealed containers, environmental conditions (e.g., humidity and temperature) measured external to a container may not accurately represent internal conditions. For example, prior art maintenance methods have inferred degradation of an asset, stored within a container, based on the number of days the ambient temperature exceeds a threshold temperature. For situations where there is a substantial difference between internal and external conditions, this method may result in replacement of a still viable asset or the retention of a degraded asset.